Vibration measuring device

Abstract

To provide a vibration measuring device capable of outputting information for appropriately analyzing a cause of measured vibrations.SOLUTION: A vibration measuring device 20 installed in a carrying vehicle 3 comprises: a vibration measuring part 21 for measuring vibrations; a position information acquisition part 22 for acquiring position information indicating a position of the carrying vehicle 3; a state information acquisition part 23 for acquiring carrying vehicle state information indicating a state of the carrying vehicle 3; a recording part 24 for recording a measurement result obtained by the vibration measuring part 21, the carrying vehicle state information, and the position information in association with one another; and an output part 25 for outputting information recorded in the recording part 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration measuring device mounted on a transport vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such a vibration measuring device is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2008-181245 A). In the following description of this background art, the reference symbols and names in Patent Document 1 will be cited in parentheses.

[0003] The vibration measuring device (vibration measuring device 21) of Patent Document 1 is mounted on a guided vehicle (automated guided vehicle 10) that travels along a travel path (traveling rail 2). This guided vehicle (10) is also equipped with a travel position detection sensor (22) that detects the current travel position, and the guided vehicle (10) communicates the travel position at which a vibration value equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected to the following guided vehicle (10). When the guided vehicle (10) receives communication of a travel position at which a vibration value equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected from the preceding guided vehicle (10), the guided vehicle (10) performs control to decelerate the travel speed when traveling through that position. Also, when a vibration value equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected by the vibration detector (21) of the guided vehicle (10), the guided vehicle (10) performs control to decelerate the travel speed of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-181245 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes that by equipping the transport vehicle (10) with a vibration measuring device (21) and a traveling position detection sensor (22), even if a sudden incident occurs, such as damage to the running rail, the abnormality can be confirmed once one transport vehicle (10) has passed, and the damage caused by vibration can be prevented from spreading.

[0006] However, when a vibration measuring device is mounted on a guided vehicle, the vibration of the vehicle may become large due to the state of the vehicle, such as acceleration and deceleration, etc. Therefore, even if a large vibration is measured on one guided vehicle, it cannot be said with certainty that the vibration is caused by a defect in the travel route, such as the running rail.

[0007] Therefore, it is required to be able to appropriately analyze the cause of the measured vibration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In view of the above, a characteristic configuration of the vibration measuring device is that it is mounted on a transport vehicle and comprises a vibration measuring unit that measures vibrations, a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle, a status information acquisition unit that acquires transport vehicle status information indicating the status of the transport vehicle, a recording unit that records the measurement results by the vibration measuring unit, the transport vehicle status information, and the position information in association with each other, and an output unit that outputs the information recorded in the recording unit.

[0009] According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain information indicating the vibration measured at each position of the travel route along which the transport vehicle has traveled and the state of the transport vehicle at that position. As a result, a user who receives the output of the information can properly grasp information such as at which position on the travel route of the transport vehicle the vibration becomes large and in what state the transport vehicle is at that time. In other words, according to the vibration measuring device according to this configuration, it is possible to output information for properly analyzing the cause of the measured vibration.

[0010] Further features and advantages of the vibration measuring device are described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. This becomes clear from the description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]A plan view of an article conveying facility where vibration is measured using a vibration measuring device. [Diagram 2] Side view of a transport vehicle equipped with a vibration measuring device [Diagram 3] Schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a transport vehicle and a vibration measuring device [Figure 4] Diagram of the operation state of the guide wheels [Diagram 5] Diagram of the operation state of the guide wheels [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram of the detection area of ​​the object detection sensor of the transport vehicle [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram of the detection area of ​​the object detection sensor of the transport vehicle [Figure 8] Schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a container and a vibration measuring device DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the vibration measuring device 20 will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the vibration measuring device 20 is mounted on a transport vehicle 3 that transports an article, and the vibration measuring device 20 performs vibration measurement. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an article transport facility 200 in which vibration measurement is performed using the vibration measuring device 20. FIG. 2 is a side view of the transport vehicle 3 on which the vibration measuring device 20 is mounted. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the transport vehicle 3 and the vibration measuring device 20. FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams of the operating state of the guide wheels 17 provided on the transport vehicle 3. In the following description, the direction along the travel path 1 is the travel direction Y, and the direction along the horizontal plane and perpendicular to the travel direction Y is the width direction X. The vertical direction Z is a direction perpendicular to the travel direction Y and the width direction X.

[0013] The article transport facility 200 includes a traveling rail 2 suspended from a ceiling and installed along a travel path 1, and a transport vehicle 3 suspended from the traveling rail 2, traveling on the traveling rail 2 along the travel path 1, and transporting a container W. That is, the transport vehicle 3 described in this embodiment is a so-called ceiling transport vehicle. The transport vehicle 3 transports, for example, a container W such as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that contains articles such as wafers that are materials for semiconductor substrates.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the travel path 1 includes, for example, one circular main path 1M, a plurality of circular sub-paths 1S passing through a plurality of processing devices 202, and a maintenance path 1C provided in a maintenance area E2 described later. The travel path 1 is a one-way street. The transport vehicle 3 travels on the travel path 1 from the upstream side of the travel direction Y to the downstream side of the travel direction Y. The travel path 1 also includes a transport area E1, which is an area through which the transport vehicle 3 passes when transporting a container W, and a maintenance area E2, which is an area through which the transport vehicle 3 passes when performing maintenance. In the maintenance area E2, for example, a maintenance lifter 204 is disposed for lowering the transport vehicle 3 suspended from the travel rail 2 to the ground side for maintenance. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the transport vehicle 3 is guided by a pair of travel rails 2.

[0015] Processing equipment 202 is, for example, a semiconductor processing equipment for performing various processes such as exposure processing and etching processing. In this case, the above-mentioned FOUP is transported as a container W in item transport facility 200. Note that the container W and the items contained in the container W may be other objects. For example, transport vehicle 3 may transport a reticle used in an exposure processing of a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor substrate as the item, and a reticle pod that contains the reticle as the container W. A mounting table 203 is provided in each processing equipment 202.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the transport vehicle 3 includes a traveling mechanism 5 that travels along the travel path 1 while being guided by a traveling rail 2 that is arranged and supported by being suspended from the ceiling along the travel path 1, and a transport vehicle main body 12 that is positioned below the travel rail 2 and supported by being suspended from the traveling mechanism 5. The transport vehicle 3 also includes a holding mechanism 6 that suspends and holds a container W, and a lifting mechanism 7 that raises and lowers the holding mechanism 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the transport vehicle 3 travels with the holding mechanism 6 raised to transport the container W.

[0017] As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, each traveling mechanism 5 is provided with a pair of traveling wheels 15 that are rotationally driven by an electric traveling actuator 35. The traveling actuator 35 is, for example, a motor (travel motor). The traveling wheels 15 roll on a traveling surface formed on each upper surface of the traveling rails 2. Although not shown in detail, the traveling mechanism 5 is provided with a pair of traveling auxiliary wheels 16 that freely rotate around an axis (around a vertical axis) along the vertical direction Z in a state of contact with each inner surface of the pair of traveling rails 2.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the branching section of the travel path 1 is provided with a guide rail 13 extending in a direction along the travel direction Y of the transport vehicle 3. Although not shown, a similar guide rail 13 is also provided in the merging section of the travel path 1. The guide rail 13 has a pair of guide surfaces 14 (first guide surface 14a, second guide surface 14b). The pair of guide surfaces 14 (first guide surface 14a, second guide surface 14b) are the first guide surface 14a and the second guide surface 14b that face opposite each other in the width direction X perpendicular to the travel direction Y and extend along the travel direction Y. In addition, the transport vehicle 3 is provided with a guide wheel 17 that rotates around a vertical axis (around a vertical axis) along the vertical direction Z. The guide wheel 17 is arranged so that its position can be changed to the right or left of the guide rail 13, which is located in the center between a pair of left and right running rails 2, and rotates in contact with the first guide surface 14a, which is the guide surface 14 on the right side of the guide rail 13, or the second guide surface 14b, which is the guide surface 14 on the left side.

[0019] The vehicle control unit 4 provided in the transport vehicle 3 controls the running mechanism 5 to perform a switching operation to selectively abut the guide wheel 17 against either of the pair of guide surfaces 14 in the branching section and the merging section, as described below.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows an example of the case where the transport vehicle 3 is caused to proceed (in this example, to travel straight) to the right path in the traveling direction Y in the branching section. In this case, the vehicle control unit 4 positions the guide wheel 17 on the side of the first guide surface 14a of the guide rail 13 (on the right side in the traveling direction Y). As a result, the transport vehicle 3 travels in a state where the first guide surface 14a of the guide rail 13 and the guide wheel 17 are in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 4, when the transport vehicle 3 travels straight through the path on the right side (first side X1 in the width direction) in the branching section, the travel rail 2 on one of the left and right sides (here, the left side) of the pair of traveling rails 2 is interrupted, and the left traveling wheel 15 and the traveling auxiliary wheel 16 are in a state of being derailed. Note that the traveling auxiliary wheel 16 is omitted in FIG. 4 for simplification. However, the guide rail 13 receives the load of the transport vehicle 3 through the guide wheel 17 and guides and supports it, so that the transport vehicle 3 is prevented from falling off the traveling rail 2, and the transport vehicle 3 can travel straight in the branching section.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an example in which the transport vehicle 3 is caused to proceed to a left path in the traveling direction Y in the branching section (branching along a curved path in this example). In this case, the vehicle control unit 4 positions the guide wheel 17 on the side of the second guide surface 14b of the guide rail 13 (on the left side in the traveling direction Y). As a result, the transport vehicle 3 is guided in a state in which the second guide surface 14b of the guide rail 13 and the guide wheel 17 are in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 5, when the transport vehicle 3 branches through a path on the left side (second side X2 in the width direction) in the branching section, the travel rail 2 on one of the left and right sides (here, the right side) of the pair of travel rails 2 is interrupted, and the right travel wheel 15 and the travel auxiliary wheel 16 are in a state of derailment. However, the guide rail 13 receives the load of the transport vehicle 3 through the guide wheel 17 and guides and supports it, so that the transport vehicle 3 is prevented from falling off the travel rail 2, and the transport vehicle 3 can branch and travel in the branching section.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the transport vehicle 3 includes a position detection sensor 8, a speed sensor 9, an object detection sensor 10, and a communication unit 11 in addition to the above-mentioned components.

[0023] The vehicle control unit 4 controls the operation of the transport vehicle 3. For example, the vehicle control unit 4 can wirelessly communicate information with an equipment control unit H that manages the entire article transport equipment 200 via the communication unit 11. Then, based on a transport command from the equipment control unit H, the vehicle control unit 4 autonomously controls the transport vehicle 3 to travel, transport the container W between different mounting tables 203, stops the transport vehicle 3 above a designated mounting table 203, and moves the holding mechanism 6 up and down to transfer the container W.

[0024] The position detection sensor 8 is used to detect the position of the transport vehicle 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a position index B indicating the position on the travel route 1 is arranged along the travel route 1. The position index B can be, for example, a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode or a marker with numbers or letters. The position detection sensor 8 can be a barcode reader, an image recognition device, or a character recognition device that recognizes numbers and letters. The position detection sensor 8 can derive the travel distance of the transport vehicle 3 using a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the axle (not shown) of the running wheel 15. The position detection sensor 8 can detect the current position of the transport vehicle 3 on the travel route 1 based on the travel distance of the transport vehicle 3 after detecting the position index B. The position information detected by the position detection sensor 8 is transmitted to the vehicle control unit 4. In this way, the transport vehicle 3 can detect its position on the travel route 1 using multiple position indexes B. Furthermore, the transportation vehicle 3 successively transmits detected position information to the equipment control unit H, and the equipment control unit H can transmit to the transportation vehicle 3 a transportation command generated based on the position information.

[0025] The speed sensor 9 is used to detect the traveling speed of the transport vehicle 3. The speed sensor 9 can be realized by using, for example, a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the axle (not shown) of the traveling wheel 15. In that case, the speed sensor 9 derives the rotation speed of the axle based on the rotation angle of the axle (not shown) of the traveling wheel 15, and can derive the traveling speed of the transport vehicle 3 based on the rotation speed. Then, the speed sensor 9 may transmit the derived traveling speed to the vehicle control unit 4. Alternatively, the speed sensor 9 may sequentially transmit the measured rotation angle of the axle (not shown) of the traveling wheel 15 to the vehicle control unit 4, and the vehicle control unit 4 may derive the traveling speed of the transport vehicle 3 based on the value of the rotation angle.

[0026] The object detection sensor 10 is used to detect objects that may be obstacles to the traveling transport vehicle 3. For example, a plurality of transport vehicles 3 are present on the travel route 1 and travel simultaneously. Therefore, in order to prevent collisions with other transport vehicles 3, the transport vehicle 3 is provided with an object detection sensor 10 that detects objects that exist within a set area ahead in the travel direction Y.

[0027] 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining the detection area 18 of the object detection sensor 10 of the transport vehicle 3. As shown in Fig. 6, when the front of the travel direction Y of the transport vehicle 3 is a straight section, the detection area 18 set ahead of the travel direction Y of the transport vehicle 3 is shaped to extend longer along the travel direction Y than the width direction X. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 7, when the front of the travel direction Y of the transport vehicle 3 is a curved section, the detection area 18 set ahead of the travel direction Y of the transport vehicle 3 is shaped to extend longer along the width direction X than the travel direction Y in accordance with the curved travel route 1.

[0028] Next, the vibration measuring device 20 mounted on the transport vehicle 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the vibration measuring device 20 includes a vibration measuring unit 21 for measuring vibration, a position information acquiring unit 22 for acquiring position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle 3, a state information acquiring unit 23 for acquiring transport vehicle state information indicating the state of the transport vehicle 3, a recording unit 24 for recording the measurement result by the vibration measuring unit 21, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information in association with each other, and an output unit 25 for outputting the information recorded in the recording unit 24. The vibration measuring device 20 includes an information communication function, an information processing function, an information storage function, and the like, and may realize the functions of the vibration measuring unit 21, the position information acquiring unit 22, the state information acquiring unit 23, the recording unit 24, and the output unit 25 by using at least some of these functions as described later. The vibration measuring device 20 may be realized by a single device equipped with these functions, or may be realized by a plurality of devices equipped with these functions.

[0029] The vibration measuring unit 21 can be realized by using a sensor capable of measuring physical quantities representing vibrations such as vibration amplitude, frequency, acceleration, etc. The vibration measuring unit 21 may also be configured to be capable of measuring vibrations in three mutually orthogonal directions, for example, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. Alternatively, the vibration measuring unit 21 may be configured to be capable of measuring vibrations in two or one of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The vibration measuring unit 21 may acquire time information about the time when the measurement result was acquired together with the vibration measurement result.

[0030] The position information acquiring unit 22 acquires position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle 3. For example, the position information acquiring unit 22 acquires position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle 3 detected by the position detection sensor 8 of the transport vehicle 3, using an information communication function of the vibration measuring device 20. The position information acquiring unit 22 may acquire time information about the time when the position information was detected together with the position information.

[0031] The status information acquiring unit 23 acquires vehicle status information indicating the status of the vehicle 3. For example, the status information acquiring unit 23 acquires the vehicle status information measured by the vehicle 3 by utilizing an information communication function of the vibration measuring device 20. The status information acquiring unit 23 may acquire time information about the time when the vehicle status information was obtained together with the vehicle status information.

[0032] The transport vehicle status information includes at least one of the travel speed of the transport vehicle 3, the acceleration state of the transport vehicle 3, the operating state of the operating mechanism equipped in the transport vehicle 3, and the detection state of the sensor equipped in the transport vehicle 3 (such as the object detection sensor 10, for example).

[0033] The travel speed of the transport vehicle 3 is a value measured by the speed sensor 9 of the transport vehicle 3. The acceleration state of the transport vehicle 3 (i.e., acceleration indicating an accelerating state, a decelerating state, a constant speed state, etc.) can be determined by calculating the change in the travel speed measured by the speed sensor 9 of the transport vehicle 3. The vehicle control unit 4 of the transport vehicle 3 may calculate the acceleration state of the transport vehicle 3, and the state information acquisition unit 23 of the vibration measuring device 20 may acquire the calculated acceleration state. Alternatively, the state information acquisition unit 23 of the vibration measuring device 20 may calculate the acceleration state from the acquired travel speed of the transport vehicle 3 using the arithmetic processing function of the vibration measuring device 20. For example, it is considered that the vibration of the transport vehicle 3 becomes relatively large when the transport vehicle 3 is accelerating or decelerating, and that the vibration of the transport vehicle 3 becomes relatively small when the transport vehicle 3 is traveling at a constant speed.

[0034] The operating state of the operating mechanism of the transport vehicle 3 is information on the operating state of the operating mechanisms of the transport vehicle 3, such as the travel mechanism 5, the holding mechanism 6, and the lifting mechanism 7. For example, the transport vehicle 3 is provided with the guide wheel 17 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 as a part of the travel mechanism 5, and the operation of the guide wheel 17 is controlled by the vehicle control unit 4. The state information acquisition unit 23 can acquire information indicating whether the guide wheel 17 is located on the right side or the left side in the travel direction Y from the vehicle control unit 4 of the transport vehicle 3. The operating state is not limited to the state of the guide wheel 17 (i.e., the travel mechanism 5). For example, it may be the operating state of the lifting mechanism 7, the operating state of the holding mechanism 6, etc. For example, when the guide wheel 17 of the travel mechanism 5 operates (i.e., when the position of the guide wheel 17 is switched between left and right), the vibration of the transport vehicle 3 is considered to be relatively large.

[0035] The detection state of the object detection sensor 10 provided in the transport vehicle 3 is, for example, information about the shape of the detection area 18 of the object detection sensor 10 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, information about whether an object is detected, and the like. The state of the detection area 18 of the object detection sensor 10 of the transport vehicle 3 is controlled by the vehicle control unit 4. Information about whether the object detection sensor 10 is detecting an object is transmitted to the vehicle control unit 4. The state information acquisition unit 23 can acquire information about the detection state of the object detection sensor 10 of the transport vehicle 3 from the vehicle control unit 4 of the transport vehicle 3. For example, when the object detection sensor 10 detects an object, it is considered that the vibration of the transport vehicle 3 becomes relatively large due to reasons such as the deceleration of the transport vehicle 3.

[0036] As described above, the status information acquiring unit 23 can acquire, as the vehicle status information, information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 3 that may affect the vibration measured by the vibration measuring unit 21. Therefore, by referring to such vehicle status information, the user can easily analyze whether or not the vibration is strongly affected by the status of the vehicle 3.

[0037] The recording unit 24 records the measurement results (vibration information) by the vibration measuring unit 21, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information in a mutually associated manner. The recording unit 24 can be realized by utilizing the information storage function of the vibration measuring device 20. For example, when the measurement results by the vibration measuring unit 21, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information are all associated with time information as described above, the recording unit 24 can record the measurement results by the vibration measuring unit 21 at the same time or within a predetermined time range, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information in a mutually associated manner. Note that, when the information is not associated with time information, the recording unit 24 may record the measurement results by the vibration measuring unit 21, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information recorded simultaneously or within a predetermined time period in a mutually associated manner as one data set.

[0038] The vibration information may be a physical quantity representing the vibration such as the amplitude, frequency, acceleration, etc. of the vibration measured by the vibration measuring unit 21, or may be a value calculated from these. For example, the vibration information may be an effective value (RMS: root mean square) calculated from the vibration waveform.

[0039] In this way, the recording unit 24 can record the transport vehicle travel data in which at least the position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle 3 and the vibration information indicating the vibration measured by the transport vehicle 3 are associated with each other, or the transport vehicle travel data which is data in which at least the position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle 3, the vibration information indicating the vibration measured by the transport vehicle 3, and the transport vehicle status information indicating the status of the transport vehicle 3 are associated with each other. The position information, the vibration information, and the transport vehicle status information included in the transport vehicle travel data may be associated with time information. In addition, the recording unit 24 can record information on the positions that the transport vehicle 3 has passed during its travel as route map data which is data on the map of the travel route 1 that the transport vehicle 3 has traveled. The information on the positions that the transport vehicle 3 has passed during its travel may be associated with time information.

[0040] The output unit 25 outputs the information recorded in the recording unit 24. For example, the output unit 25 can use an information communication function of the vibration measuring device 20 to output the information recorded in the recording unit 24 to another device that can communicate with the vibration measuring device 20. Note that the output unit 25 not only outputs information in a form to be transmitted to another device, but may also display and output information to the display device 41, print information on paper, output information to a portable storage device, and the like.

[0041] As described above, by using the vibration measuring device 20 of this embodiment, it is possible to obtain information indicating the vibration measured at each position on the travel route 1 along which the transport vehicle 3 has traveled and the state of the transport vehicle 3 at that position. As a result, a user who receives the output of such information can properly grasp information such as at which position on the travel route 1 of the transport vehicle 3 the vibration becomes large and in what state the transport vehicle 3 is at that time. In other words, the vibration measuring device 20 of this embodiment can output information for properly analyzing the cause of the measured vibration.

[0042] Next, an example of installation of the vibration measuring device 20 on a container W will be described. Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the container W and the vibration measuring device 20. The vibration measuring device 20 is accommodated in the container W transported by the transport vehicle 3. The vibration measuring device 20 performs vibration measurement while the transport vehicle 3 transports (i.e., travels) the container W. In other words, the vibration measuring unit 21 of the vibration measuring device 20 can measure vibrations similar to those transmitted to an article stored in the container W while the transport vehicle 3 travels.

[0043] As shown in the figure, the container W is box-shaped with a vertical cross section that is rectangular or nearly so. One of the sides of the container W can be opened and closed by a door (not shown), and when the door is open, it is possible to put an article into the container W and take an article out of the container W. The plate-like member 30 as the article housed in the container W shown in FIG. 8 is, for example, an actual wafer or a member that imitates the same. In this way, as shown in FIG. 8, the transport vehicle 3 may be run in a state in which only the vibration measuring device 20 is housed in the container W, or in a state in which both the vibration measuring device 20 and the plate-like member 30 are housed in the container W.

[0044] The container W has a plurality of slots 19 therein into which the transport vehicle 3 can insert plate-like members 30 or the like as articles to be contained in the container W and transported. Specifically, a plurality of partitions 27 are provided on the inner surface of the container W in a vertical line. The spaces between the partitions 27 form slots 19.

[0045] The vibration measuring device 20 shown in Fig. 8 is configured so as to be able to be installed inside such an existing container W without modifying the internal structure of the container W. Specifically, the vibration measuring device 20 has the functions of a position information acquiring unit 22, a state information acquiring unit 23, a recording unit 24, and an output unit 25, which are separately installed in two devices. One device has a vibration measuring unit 21, and the other device has an information processing device C. The information processing device C can be realized by using a portable computer device or a tablet terminal having an information communication function, an information storage function, an information arithmetic processing function, etc.

[0046] The vibration measuring device 20 includes a first support member 31 and a second support member 32 which are inserted into different slots 19. The vibration measuring unit 21 includes a vibration sensor 21a and a transmitter 21b which transmits the measurement results by the vibration sensor 21a, and is supported by the first support member 31. For example, the vibration sensor 21a can be realized using an acceleration sensor as described above.

[0047] The information processing device C is supported on the second support member 32. The information processing device C includes a position information acquisition unit 22, a status information acquisition unit 23, a recording unit 24, and an output unit 25. The recording unit 24 includes a receiver 24a that receives measurement results from the transmitter 21b, and a recording device 24b such as a flash memory that stores the measurement results received by the receiver 24a, and is supported on the second support member 32. In this case, communication between the transmitter 21b and the receiver 24a may be wired or wireless.

[0048] The transmitter 21b of the vibration measuring unit 21 supported by the first support member 31 and the receiver 24a of the recording unit 24 supported by the second support member 32 are configured to communicate with each other in accordance with various communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The measurement results of the vibration sensor 21a are sequentially recorded in the recording device 24b.

[0049] 8, among the functions of the vibration measuring unit 21, the position information acquiring unit 22, the state information acquiring unit 23, the recording unit 24, and the output unit 25 included in the vibration measuring device 20, the function of the vibration measuring unit 21 is mounted on the first support member 31, and the functions of the position information acquiring unit 22, the state information acquiring unit 23, the recording unit 24, and the output unit 25 are mounted on the second support member 32, and the first support member 31 and the second support member 32 are inserted into separate slots 19. By employing such a configuration, the vibration measuring unit 21, the position information acquiring unit 22, the state information acquiring unit 23, the recording unit 24, and the output unit 25 included in the vibration measuring device 20 can be easily installed inside the container W.

[0050] It is possible to appropriately change which slot 19 the first support member 31 and the second support member 32 are inserted into. For example, the first support member 31 that supports the vibration measuring unit 21 may be inserted into the slot 19 where the vibration is expected to be the largest.

[0051] As described above, the plate-like member 30 as the article to be transported can be inserted into the multiple slots 19 of the container W, and the first support member 31 supporting the vibration sensor 21a of the vibration measuring unit 21 can be inserted. In other words, the vibration sensor 21a can be arranged in the same environment as the plate-like member 30 as the article to be transported inside the container W. Therefore, when the container W is transported to the transport vehicle 3 with the first support member 31 supporting the vibration sensor 21a inserted into the slot 19, the vibration measuring unit 21 can measure vibrations similar to those acting on the plate-like member 30 as the article to be transported. Furthermore, it is possible to realize the vibration measuring device 20 that can perform vibration measurement on any transport vehicle 3 without preparing a special transport vehicle 3 for vibration measurement. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first support member 31 that supports the vibration sensor 21a and the second support member 32 that supports the receiver 24a and the recording device 24b are separate members and are inserted into different slots 19. This has the advantage that the effect of the receiver 24a and the recording device 24b on the vibration measurement by the vibration sensor 21a can be kept to a minimum, making it easier to improve the accuracy of the vibration measurement.

[0052] Other embodiments Next, other embodiments of the vibration measuring device 20 will be described.

[0053] (1) In the above embodiment, the transport vehicle 3 is an overhead transport vehicle. However, the transport vehicle 3 is not limited to such a configuration, and may be, for example, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), a sorting transfer vehicle (STV), a stacker crane, or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR).

[0054] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the position detection sensor 8 detects the position of the transport vehicle 3 based on the position index B indicating the position on the travel route 1, but the position detection sensor 8 may detect the position of the transport vehicle 3 by other means. For example, the position detection sensor 8 may detect the position of the transport vehicle 3 by receiving a signal from a GNSS satellite that constitutes the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0055] (3) In the above embodiment, the content of the transport vehicle status information can be changed as appropriate. For example, the information may include information on the detection state of various sensors equipped in the transport vehicle 3. Examples of the various sensors equipped in the transport vehicle 3 include a sensor that detects the operating state of the holding mechanism 6 that holds the container W, a sensor that detects the operating state of the lifting mechanism 7 that lifts and lowers the holding mechanism 6, and the like.

[0056] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the transport vehicle 3 travels with the container W housing plate-like members 30, such as actual wafers or substrates simulating such wafers, but the number of plate-like members 30 housed in the container W can be changed as appropriate. For example, the container W does not have to house plate-like members 30. Alternatively, the number of housed plate-like members 30 may be adjusted so that the weight of the container W is close to that of the container W when the transport vehicle 3 actually transports wafers as articles.

[0057] (5) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. As for other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0058] [Summary of the above embodiment] The vibration measuring device described above will now be outlined.

[0059] The vibration measuring device is mounted on a transport vehicle and comprises a vibration measuring unit that measures vibrations, a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the position of the transport vehicle, a status information acquisition unit that acquires transport vehicle status information indicating the status of the transport vehicle, a recording unit that records the measurement results by the vibration measuring unit, the transport vehicle status information, and the position information in association with each other, and an output unit that outputs the information recorded in the recording unit.

[0060] According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain information indicating the vibration measured at each position of the travel route along which the transport vehicle has traveled and the state of the transport vehicle at that position. As a result, a user who receives the output of the information can properly grasp information such as at which position on the travel route of the transport vehicle the vibration becomes large and in what state the transport vehicle is at that time. In other words, according to the vibration measuring device according to this configuration, it is possible to output information for properly analyzing the cause of the measured vibration.

[0061] Here, it is preferable that the transport vehicle status information includes at least one of the travel speed of the transport vehicle, the acceleration state of the transport vehicle, the operating state of a travel mechanism equipped in the transport vehicle, and the detection state of a sensor equipped in the transport vehicle.

[0062] According to this configuration, information indicating the behavior of the transport vehicle that may affect the vibration measured by the vibration measuring unit can be acquired as the transport vehicle status information. Therefore, by referring to such transport vehicle status information, the user can easily analyze whether the vibration is strongly affected by the state of the transport vehicle.

[0063] It is also preferable that the vibration measuring unit is housed in a container transported by the transport vehicle.

[0064] According to this configuration, the vibration measuring unit can measure vibrations inside the container during transportation. In other words, the vibration measuring unit can measure vibrations similar to those transmitted to the container while the transport vehicle is traveling with the container carrying the article.

[0065] It is also preferable that the container has a plurality of slots into which plate-shaped members are inserted as articles to be contained in the container and transported by the transport vehicle, and a first support member and a second support member are inserted into different slots, the vibration measuring unit has a vibration sensor and a transmitter that transmits the measurement results by the vibration sensor and is supported by the first support member, and the recording unit has a receiver that receives the measurement results from the transmitter and a memory device that stores the measurement results received by the receiver, and is supported by the second support member.

[0066] According to this configuration, the vibration measuring unit and the recording unit can be easily installed inside the container by inserting the first supporting member and the second supporting member into the slots. According to this configuration, a plate-like member as an object to be transported can be inserted into the multiple slots of the container, and a first support member supporting a vibration sensor provided in the vibration measuring unit can be inserted. In other words, the vibration sensor can be placed inside the container in the same environment as the plate-like member as the object to be transported. Therefore, when the container is transported by the transport vehicle with the first support member supporting the vibration sensor inserted into the slot, the vibration measuring unit can measure vibrations similar to those acting on the plate-like member as the object to be transported. Furthermore, a vibration measuring device can be realized that can perform vibration measurement on any transport vehicle without having to prepare a special transport vehicle for vibration measurement. In addition, according to this configuration, the first support member that supports the vibration sensor and the second support member that supports the receiver and memory device are separate members and are inserted into different slots, so that the effect of the receiver and memory device on the vibration measurement by the vibration sensor can be minimized, which has the advantage of making it easier to improve the accuracy of vibration measurement. [Industrial Applicability]

[0067] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in a vibration measuring device that can output information for appropriately analyzing the cause of measured vibration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 3: Transport vehicle 5: Travel mechanism 19: Slots 20: Vibration measuring device 21: Vibration measurement section 21a: Vibration sensor 21b: Transmitter 22: Location information acquisition section 23: Status information acquisition unit 24: Recording section 24a: Receiver 25: Output section 30: Plate-shaped member 31: First support member 32: Second support member W: Container

Claims

1. A vibration measuring device mounted on a transport vehicle, a vibration measuring unit that measures vibration; a position information acquiring unit that acquires position information indicating a position of the transport vehicle; a status information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle status information indicating a status of the vehicle; a recording unit that records the measurement result by the vibration measuring unit, the transport vehicle state information, and the position information in association with each other; and an output unit that outputs the information recorded in the recording unit.

2. The vibration measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport vehicle status information includes at least one of the following: a traveling speed of the transport vehicle, an acceleration state of the transport vehicle, an operating state of a traveling mechanism equipped in the transport vehicle, and a detection state of a sensor equipped in the transport vehicle.

3. The vibration measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration measuring unit is accommodated in a container transported by the transport vehicle.

4. the container includes a plurality of slots into which plate-shaped members as articles to be contained in the container and transported by the transport vehicle are inserted; a first support member and a second support member inserted into the different slots; the vibration measurement unit includes a vibration sensor and a transmitter that transmits the measurement result by the vibration sensor, and is supported by the first support member; 4. The vibration measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the recording unit includes a receiver that receives the measurement results from the transmitter, and a storage device that stores the measurement results received by the receiver, and is supported by the second support member.

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